In the last few years in the Salisbury Journal there have been complaints about what Wiltshire Council (and Salisbury City Council for that matter) are NOT doing and consequently venting anger about council tax, etc.

The councils make mistakes and everybody’s opinion about what should or should not be prioritised is going tobe different, according to the matter in hand, one’s political persuasion, personal circumstances, personal needs, etc.

As somebody who, until recently, worked for one of the local councils, I feel that the criticism over park spaces, public toilets, care services, children’s services, public tips being open at limited times, should be fairly directed towards central government who seem to have a pathological hatred for anything “public”

and who have been withdrawing funding to local authorities for several years now.

I do not necessarily agree with many of the decisions that have been made concerning our local services, although I recognise that councils have endeavoured, in the face of these reductions, to keep our local council tax to a minimum.

However, as anyone who handles income and expenditure, as income decreases so expenditure has to change to keep a balance.

I suggest it is time to stop central taxing at the rate it is now and to have a local income tax, combined with “council tax” so that councils can again provide the services we all so desperately want and need.

It is time to realise that central government is the main cause of these sometimes seemingly crazy decisions.

Stop blaming your local councils, start realising that it is central government that is causing this.

HELEN MUNRO Salisbury